Month: January 2018

cartoon art, gnomes, humour

A morning without coffee………………

magickmermaid

A morning without coffee……………….

……….is not a good morning at all!  Yesterday my coffee grinder gave up the ghost.

The kitchen went dark; thunder clouds and lightning surrounded me. (I will refrain from mentioning any of the pirate swear words I uttered in frustration as this is a family blog.) I had visions of myself stumbling about like a zombie as I languished in despair waiting for the replacement to arrive.

This coffee grinder had outlasted one marriage, three boyfriends, five house moves, several jobs and hair dryers.  Would I ever find another one as good?  We live in a society of planned obsolescence.  Nothing is made to last these days!

I could hear an anguished cry of “noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” reverberating in the kitchen.  Oh, wait.  That was me.

Henri scurried in to find me staring at the defunct coffee grinder in wild-eyed panic.
“Madame, que s’est-il passé?” he asked; his voice full of alarm.

He looked from my angst-ridden face to the counter.  He nodded solemnly, thinking of his own reaction if his beloved espresso machine had stopped working.

coffee grinder

Suddenly an idea materialised through the mist of my torpor.  I put some coffee beans into a (recyclable!) plastic bag and pounded them into small pieces, using the coffee grinder as a hammer.  Success!  Luckily, coarse grind is perfect for a French press (cafetiere).

Much rejoicing ensued as Henri and I did a victory dance.  Breakfast was saved!

Properly fortified I went online in search of a new coffee grinder.  And I was able to find the exact same model made by the same company at a reduced price.  Let us all hope it works as well and lasts as long as the original (or there will undoubtedly be swearing).

More stories featuring Henri are here: The Gnome and I

©Morgaine du Mer, MagickMermaid 2018

 

art, folklore, magickal fantasy art, metaphysical art

Bear Spirit Animal

magickmermaid

Ursa Appears

I have often heard about spirit animals which appear during meditations.  Many people turn to spirit animals for guidance and advice.  I had never experienced this until the Winter Solstice 2017.

It was very dark, quiet and cold as I began my meditation.  After being in a trance-like state for a short time the image of a translucent bear made of stars appeared.  I welcomed the bear and the entire experience was very surprising and comforting.  I felt as if I had been transported to a winter centuries ago; outside under a sky with a million stars.

The Winter Solstice festival is also called Alban Arthan in Druidry; from early British and Welsh words meaning Light of Arthur.  It can also mean Light of the Great Bear as the Gaelic word for bear is ‘Art’. This refers to the star constellation of the Great Bear which is seen in the northern sky.  The Latin name for the constellation is Ursa Major which means Great She-Bear.

Although I didn’t see the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, I added them to the illustration of my most interesting meditation.

Have you ever been visited by a spirit animal?  I’d like to hear about it!

 

A print of the Bear Spirit is available by special order:
morgaine@magickmermaid.com

art, astrology, magickal art, pagan

What’s Your Sign? Lunar Astrology and Druid Tree Lore January and February Birthdays

magickmermaid

Druid Tree Lore – Celtic Lunar Astrology
21st January – 17th February2-rowan-green-dragon-celtic-zodiac-print

11 inches x 14 inches (27.94cm x 35.56cm)

Rowan_Green_Dragon_Celtic_Zodiac_Print
8 inches x 10 inches (20.32cm x 25.4cm)

About Druid Tree Lore and Celtic Lunar Astrology
People have been marking the passage of time by the phases of the moon for millennia. Although it is impossible to say for certain because the lore and traditions were not written, many historians believe that both the Celts and Druids used a 13 month lunar calendar.  The months and symbols differ from the solar calendar with which most of us are familiar. Druidic horoscopes are often mentioned in legends.

Trees have long been a source of sacred folklore with each chosen to represent the months and having its own magickal properties. The Ogham symbols may have been devised by ancient Druids. As several of the symbols refer to trees, the ogham alphabet is often called the Tree Alphabet. These symbols are included next to the tree names which are shown in both English and Old Irish. The animal symbols are my interpretation based on various sources. The ruling planets of each sign are also noted.  The information provided here is an introduction to the wealth of knowledge concerning Druid teachings and Celtic lore.

See the entire collection of zodiac signs here or on my website, MagickMermaid

 

no category

Plastic’s Not Fantastic

magickmermaid

Reblogged from Violet’s Vegan Comics:

Violet's Vegan Comics

You know plastic’s not fantastic

And it might seem rather drastic

But the obvious solution

Is a New Year’s resolution

To give unfantastic plastic the heave-ho.

So that’s what we’ve decided,

We’re determined to be guided

By the needs of Earth and Earthlings

To be free of all plastic things,

So to all new things of plastic we say NO!

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